Ishkonige Nawadide Solar Project UpdateDecember 17, 2020

Bad River Band of Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians

Daniel Wiggins Jr, Project lead

Bad River Band of Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians

Located on a 125,000+ acre reservation in Northern Wisconsin on the south shore of Lake Superior

Territory ceded by the tribe to the U.S. government includes the upper one third of what is now the State of Wisconsin.

Has over 7,000 members, the majority living off the reservation, about 2,000 live on/near the reservation.

Overview

Phase 1: Ishkonige Nawadide Objectives Project Details Planning & Development Execution of Project Challenges Accomplishments Next Steps Partners

Long-term Planning Phase 2: Giwiijiiwaaganinaan

Gitigan Microgrid Project Questions

Phase 1: Ishkonige Nawadide Solar Project

Ishkonige Nawadide Objectives The Bad River Tribe was awarded a USDOE Grant in 2019 for the Ishkonige

Nawadide (It Catches Fire) Solar Microgrid Project. 2 Million Dollar Project 50% USDOE Contribution

Focused on resiliency after the 2016 Flood and while experiencing lengthy electrical outages at crucial facilities, such as the Health & Wellness Center, the Tribe’s community Clinic.

Tribe is installing over 500 kW of solar with over 1000 kWh of battery storage at three tribal facilities located in the Odanah Community: The Chief Blackbird Administration Building Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) Health & Wellness Center (H&WC)

Systems at the H&WC and the WWTP will offset the entire facility electrical loads and offer a level of resiliency if power goes out that can last projected days if not weeks.

Ishkonige Nawadide Details Chief Blackbird Administration Building

PV Size: 24kW DC

Battery Size: 22 kWh

Health & Wellness Center PV Size: 300 kW DC

Battery Size: 568 kWh (250 kW or discharge rate)

Wastewater Treatment Plant PV Size: 200 kW DC

Battery Size: 426 kWh (200 kW or discharge rate)

All Systems operate on a DC Bus System Everything (PV and batteries) is connected on the DC side.

Cloud Monitoring System

Odanah Community

Ishkonige Nawadide Planning & Development The Ishkonige Nawadide Project was guided with both Strategic Energy

Planning done in 2012 and 2017.

The Tribe used the newly adopted 2018 Emergency Preparedness Plan (EPP) to identify critical infrastructure that was affected by power outages and the 2016 Flood.

Several buildings and scenarios were identified for possible solar projects

The 2018 EPP clearly identify the Health & Wellness Center, Wastewater Treatment Plant, and the Chief Blackbird Administration Building as critical infrastructure.

Ishkonige Nawadide Execution of Project Request For Proposals:

Investor and Developer come together Started Nov 2019 Concluded May of 2020 Awarded Faith Technologies

Contracts & Documents Leasing and Energy Services Agreement (Several Attachments) Started June 2020 Concluded and executed October 2020

Began Construction in October of 2020 Anticipated Commissioning in March of 2021 Interconnection Agreement and PPA process has started

Administration

WWTP

Health & Wellness Center

Ishkonige Nawadide Challenges COVID-19

Tribe issued Declaration of Public Health Emergency with Respects to the 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic in March of 2020 along with Safer at Home orders once COVID begun to hit the community in June

Made meetings difficult Decision making by leadership

Utility Task Force Meetings

Overall Team Meetings

Virtual Meetings have created a great level of communication

Construction Limited building access and extra precautions

Contractors coming from out of town

Required all contractors to have strict COVID-19 policies

Ishkonige Nawadide Challenges Community Acceptance

Replacing land with solar or any infrastructure is not always accepted by elders and environmentalists. “ I don’t know how I’ll feel about it until I see the panels…. The trees were nice.”

Community Elder

There is a level of sovereignty given up when involving partners and investors. Any time this is said it will not be accepted by many tribal members

Emphasizes the need for clarity and transparency

Community meetings and presentations around financing strategies

Ishkonige Nawadide Accomplishments Completed RFP Process Executed Construction and Contracts Developed a Long-term Strategy once Ishkonige Nawadide has been

commissioned

Working with Faith Technologies to develop Tribal workforce Workers knowing how to install and handle panels

One tribal worker during Construction of racking and PVs

Working with education to support training module within 18–24-year-old program.

OMCO has offered complete training for Tribe with racking and PVs

Facility Managers will identify technicians to work with Faith Technology Staff or (Itians) in order to develop skills to fully operate the microgrids.

Ishkonige NawadideNext Steps

Batteries and interior electrical

Interconnection and Commissioning scheduled for March

Execute Long-term Phased Energy Plan Phase 2 USDOE Application Submittal in February of

2021

Identify Other funding strategies

Ishkonige NawadidePartners Bad River Tribe Utility Task Force Team

Cheq Bay Renewables

Madison Solar Consulting

muGrid Analytics

Faith Technologies

Long-term Planning

Conducted November of 2019, led by Amy Simpkins of MuGrid Analytics.

Concentrated on a strategic phased approach incorporating the Ishkonige Nawadide Solar Project as Phase 1.

Two-day collaborative meeting with Department heads, leadership, and community representatives.

Long-Term Poster and Report was developed for the Tribe Report: https://tinyurl.com/y6xl9gt7

Poster: https://tinyurl.com/y5ffqnem

https://tinyurl.com/y6xl9gt7https://tinyurl.com/y5ffqnem

Phase 2: Giwiijiiwaaganinaan Gitigan Microgrid Project

Giwiijiiwaaganinaan Gitigan means Community Garden or Three Sisters Garden. This was the original Project title for Clinic, Head Start and Elderly Buildings when Clinic was originally built.

Connects new Head Start and existing Elderly buildings adjacent to the Clinic to the Ishkonige Nawadide Solar Microgrid

Applying for USDOE funds and using same financing strategy

Team is also working with the Bad River Housing Authority on Phase 3 Elderly Apartments and other infrastructure 1MW solar garden specifically for residential benefits Challenges are land availability and Utility capability

Miigwech! (Thank you)

Daniel Wiggins JrAir Quality Technician/ Renewable Energy

Mashkiiziibii Natural Resources Department

Ph: 715-979-1486

Email: Air1@badriver-nsn.gov

mailto:Air1@badriver-nsn.gov

Ishkonige Nawadide Solar Project UpdateBad River Band of Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa IndiansOverview Phase 1: Ishkonige Nawadide �Solar ProjectIshkonige Nawadide �ObjectivesIshkonige Nawadide �DetailsOdanah CommunityIshkonige Nawadide �Planning & DevelopmentIshkonige Nawadide �Execution of ProjectAdministration WWTPHealth & Wellness CenterSlide Number 13Slide Number 14Ishkonige Nawadide �ChallengesIshkonige Nawadide �ChallengesIshkonige Nawadide �AccomplishmentsIshkonige Nawadide�Next StepsIshkonige Nawadide�Partners Long-term Planning Slide Number 21Phase 2: Giwiijiiwaaganinaan Gitigan Microgrid Project�Miigwech! �(Thank you)